Over the past ten years, fabric article carriers for bicycles have become very popular amongst cycle enthusiasts, particularly those who engage in bicycle touring. Such carriers tend to be as lightweight as possible so that they do not add extra weight to the bicycle, and they have a zippered opening so that articles placed therein remain dry and secure, yet quickly retrievable. In the past, many such carriers generally were secured to the handlebars, or were supported over the rear wheel of the bicycle, typically on a rear carrier rack. Examples of such carriers adapted to be mounted on the front handlebars are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,955,728; 3,955,727; and 4,066,196. Examples of rear mounted carriers or bicycle panniers are found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,996.
A feature that has become popular in recent years, especially in bicycle touring, is the ability for bicycle riders to leave the bicycle and take with them any items carried on the bicycle, both for convenience and for security. In such instances, it is desirable for the article carrier to be quickly and easily removable and replaceable on the bicycle. Thus, the attachment of the carrier to the bicycle should be simple, but secure.
Several problems are associated with the successful development of fabric article carriers which are mounted beneath the seat of bicycle. One problem is that it is difficult to securely mount the carrier to the seat so that it remains firmly in place during riding and does not interfere with the operator's movements. A second problem is that fabric carriers tend to sag under the weight of the items carried therein, so that they tend to interfere with the movement of the rear bicycle wheel. A third problem is that there must be a convenient means provided for quickly and easily securing the carrier to the seat and removing it therefrom.